Tender & Savory Braised Fern: The Perfect Recipe for Holidays!
Tender & Savory Braised Fern: The Perfect Recipe for Holidays!
The Best of Holiday Seasonings: Fern Side Dish. Easy Recipe Using Fresh Ferns.
Introducing Fern Side Dish, a must-have among the three seasonal side dishes for Korean holidays. This recipe will show you how to make a savory and tender fern side dish with a special tip! It’s perfect for ancestral rites and delicious for everyday meals. Using fresh ferns makes it even easier by skipping the boiling process. Enjoy it served over a spoonful of rice for an incredible flavor! Ready to make this delicious fern side dish? While boiling dried ferns yourself yields a great result, pre-boiled fresh ferns are a convenient option for quick preparations. This time, I used store-bought fresh ferns and made a fantastic fern side dish without the hassle of boiling. We’ll use a tablespoon as our measurement for easy following!
Main Ingredients- Boiled Fern 350g (Freshly-boiled fern)
- Minced Green Onion 2 Tbsp (or Scallions)
Seasoning Ingredients- Soy sauce for soup 1 Tbsp
- Fish sauce (anchovy or tuna) 1 Tbsp
- Perilla oil 1 Tbsp
- Minced garlic 0.7 Tbsp
Additional Ingredients & Flavor Enhancers- Perilla oil 2 Tbsp (for finishing)
- Sesame seeds 1 Tbsp (ground)
- Rice wine or Mirin 1 Tbsp (to remove gaminess)
- Kelp broth 100ml (or rice water)
- Soy sauce for soup 1 Tbsp
- Fish sauce (anchovy or tuna) 1 Tbsp
- Perilla oil 1 Tbsp
- Minced garlic 0.7 Tbsp
Additional Ingredients & Flavor Enhancers- Perilla oil 2 Tbsp (for finishing)
- Sesame seeds 1 Tbsp (ground)
- Rice wine or Mirin 1 Tbsp (to remove gaminess)
- Kelp broth 100ml (or rice water)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Let’s start by preparing the ingredients. The ferns I bought at the market had slightly thick stems but were quite tender. If using scallions instead of green onions, chop them finely. For the kelp broth, simply soak kelp in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes. Here’s a secret tip to remove the distinctive gamey flavor of ferns: rice wine or mirin! And for a nutty aroma, grind your sesame seeds beforehand.
Step 2
1. Prepare the Ferns: If you bought ferns from a market or store, first select and remove any tough or fibrous stems. Rinse them thoroughly 3-4 times under running water, then drain them in a colander.
Step 3
2. Season the Ferns: Cut the drained ferns into bite-sized pieces (about 5-7 cm long). Place the ferns in a wok or a wide pan, and begin seasoning by adding 1 tablespoon of soy sauce for soup.
Step 4
Add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to enhance the umami flavor of the ferns. Then, add 1 tablespoon of perilla oil for tenderness and 0.7 tablespoon of minced garlic for that beloved garlic aroma. Gently mix everything with your hands, ensuring the seasonings are evenly distributed. Let it marinate for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld deeply into the ferns. (Tip: For ancestral rite dishes, you can omit the minced garlic and minced green onion for a cleaner taste.)
Step 5
3. Sauté the Ferns: Now it’s time to stir-fry the seasoned ferns. Heat a pan over medium heat, add the ferns and stir-fry briefly. Pour in the prepared 100ml of kelp broth and cover the pan. Let it cook for about 5 minutes until tender and moist. Adding broth prevents the ferns from burning, keeps them tender, and prevents moisture loss.
Step 6
Once the ferns are tender, add 1 tablespoon of rice wine or mirin to cleanly eliminate any gamey smell and stir-fry. Next, add the ground sesame seeds and minced green onion (or scallions) and mix quickly.
Step 7
Finally, drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon of perilla oil to boost the flavor. Your savory, gamey-free fern side dish is now complete! It’s best to add perilla oil just before turning off the heat or after, to preserve its aroma.
Step 8
Transfer the finished fern side dish to a serving plate and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for an extra nutty touch. Despite my initial concern about the thick stems being tough, they turned out surprisingly tender and packed with savory flavor. It’s a truly delicious fern dish!
Step 9
One bite and you’ll be hooked! This fern side dish is so incredibly flavorful, it might even be tastier than meat. As a side for rice, there’s hardly a better option. Since I love this dish so much, I often make a large batch before the holidays and use any leftovers to make bibimbap or stone pot rice. It’s simply the best! You should definitely give it a try!
